Business Books

In this day and age there are a lot of books on the shelves that have been written to aid people going through certain stages in their life. Perhaps one of the stages that have remained nearly untapped, or unaided, is that of the high school graduate on through the mid-twenties. Nicholas Aretakis has come to relieve the youth with his book, No More Ramen: The 20-Something's Real World Survival Guide. Aretakis writes with a clear and level-headed pen, engaging his young readers with schooling, employment, money, and still more. Aretakis has gathered information from hundreds of young men and women, 20-somethings as he so aptly names them, and not only lays out simple directions for many of the youth's questions but brings about those answers in a personal way by drawing upon comparisons of his own life as a 20-something 20-some odd years ago. Aretakis answers questions like what readers should look for in an employer, how business traveling schedules should be broken down between work and play, how to boost credit scores, and even tips on remembering fellow workers' names for those initial anxiety-filled times at a new job. Whether stuck in a rut or getting out into the blinding lights of the adult world, No More Ramen is an essential read for every 20-something looking for a bit of guidance.

After reading No More Ramen: The 20-something's Real World Survival Guide, by Nicholas Aretakis, my advice to prospective readers of this book is: do not be misled by the title; you do not have to be living off Ramen noodles to benefit from this book! ANYONE from the ages of 14 to 50, maybe 60, will find the information in here useful, because it covers such a wide range of topics that focus on advancing one's career as efficiently as possible. One topic I found particularly useful was about planning: analyzing what exactly your goals are and then developing a clear, direct path to achieve that goal. There is an abundance of useful information, resources and exercises squeezed into about 230 pages, but it's not repetitive and you don't need to memorize; the topics within the chapters are divided nicely, making it easy to use the book as a reference. If you are confused about what your goals are, I highly suggest you read this book, because it will help you put your life into proper perspective. Before I read this book, I was confused about what I really wanted to do in life, and about internships, graduate school, everything else that you hear about in college, and reading this book has helped me decide what I want to do in life, along with what steps I should take in order to achieve that. I feel more secure and confident about where I am now in life because I know I am doing what I should be doing. No More Ramen is an essential read, and the sooner you read it, the better.

Tiffany Chang
Junior, 20 years old
New York University

Like the typical Entitlement Generation-er, I've always considered the future as a puzzle that would work itself out, the world as my very friendly oyster, and success to fall easily at my feet. Lo and behold, we face the real world and realize, oh my goodness--we are in way over our heads. Nicholas Aretakis's No More Ramen is a great read for those who suffer similar revelations and need guidance...and actually to anybody who THINKS they don't need guidance--because you'll be surprised at what you don't know about the real world.

This self-proclaimed "real world survival guide" is exactly that--a manual for figuring out the little details of the work place and personal obstacles, and just how to be a personal success in life. Aretakis's book is a casual, conversational read, privileging readers with forgotten tips like what to say in a conference, what to look for in a job, and how to translate academic success to professional success. For all of you out there who have heard too often the clichéd schpiels about dressing to impress, running over portfolio pitches or simply following your heart to that perfect job that seems nonexistent, Aretakis gives you a little bit of that--and then blows you out of the water with the more important specifics.

From personal rating charts, goal sheets and answers about everything from sick days to tax forms to housing plans, No More Ramen is a clear shot of a book at giving you success in life in a nutshell. I recommend this book to all 20-somethings, and even those younger, and definitely to parents. Everyone must take a bite out of this delicious No More Ramen--the solutions offered are answers to questions you never even thought to ask! Guaranteed this is not just a guide, but a 20-something's key to avoiding regretful hindsight and future panic attacks.

Nicole Walker
Senior, 20 years old
Pennsylvania State University

I have to say, I was a little skeptical in reading a book entitled "No More Ramen". It wasn't exactly seeming like it would be very informative but boy was I wrong. I picked up this book and couldn't put it down. It was extremely insightful and surprised me with how true everything in the book was. Nicholas Aretakis takes complicated subjects that are plaguing all of us college age students such as budgets, graduation, work, interviews, co-workers, investing and other topics that most of us are clueless about, and gives advice on how to handle it. The book is also written so it's very easy to read. It's written in a no B.S. style and he really tells it how it is. It includes numerous charts and spreadsheets that will help you map out your goals and plans and even sample charts on how to set up a budget and start investing. He provides answers to questions such as: "How can I get what I want out of life? How do I balance work, family, and fun? How do I gain financial independence? How do I keep myself on track? Why does it feel so overwhelming to be a 20 something heading out into the real world?" These questions and many more are all answered in this book and I really gained valuable insight.

As a graduating senior I'm in the process of looking for a job, planning my future, figuring out how to pay for everything, and planning to live on my own which can be a scary thing but this book definitely give some good guidelines to help get you started so you don't flounder once you leave the safety net world of college. I know I have a ton of questions that I'm sure I wont know the answer to until I actually have to experience them but this book definitely gave me a head's up on how to handle those situations.

Even though this book is geared to 20 something's, I really believe a person of any age could benefit from this book because it speaks to a lot of different topics and concerns that even some 30 and 40 year olds haven't quite gotten the hang of yet. Nicholas Aretakis went cross country and interviews thousands of 20 something's and compiled and analyzed all the data and turned it into this book in an easy to understand format. It really lets you know that you're not the only one panicking and having problems but that a majority of the rest of the youth of the country has the same worries and anxieties that you have. At the end of the book there is the chapter entitled "My 11 Must knows" where he gives a sweeping overview of the book and his last words of advice and he does a fantastic job condensing all the information. He says that there are 4 qualities that make up a happy and balanced life: Freedom, Accomplishment, Money, and Enjoyment. Nicholas Aretakis takes them 4 pillars and explains ways throughout the book on how to achieve them. I very highly recommend this to be on every 20 something's bookshelf and maybe even their parents' bookshelves because it truly is a very useful and insightful book to read. Well done Mr. Aretakis.

You can see a pattern in the ratigs' posting dates: very often it's two reviews per each particular day, then they wait a week to post two more. Fake reviews.

I had the pleasure of hearing Sam speak at a recent convention, where she excerpted this marvelous collection of IMMEDIATELY ACTIONABLE tools and techniques for producing breakthrough creative ideas on demand. I bought the book and now it never leaves my desk. Never again struggle for brilliant branding ideas, terrific taglines or compelling copy...use Sam's simple techniques to make yourself, your writing, your product or your brand unforgettable to your audience.

Sam Rocks!

I saw Sam speak at Mark Victor Hansen's Mega Speaking Event and I can tell you, she knows how to captivate an audience. Sam has a genuine style that comes across as sincere, professional, and experienced.

If you've never seen her speak, you're missing out. Sam delivers on content, humor, and info that each of us wants. She helps people re-evaluate their thinking in order to connect in a personal way with your audience by re-creating statements for personal branding.

Sam will teach you how to be creative in away that's practical. Pop is not about hype, it's about bringing your message to your people in a way that is unique and powerful at the same time.

I found that POP is for anyone who wants an edge over the competition because it's not about cheesy tactics to woo people, it's more about reaching people with the essence of who you are and transforming it in a punchy way in order to attract people to what you are selling/marketing.

I recommend it because it's valuable for people wanting to cut to the chase and grab the gems.

Need something different, something special to kick your business into overdrive? You'll find it in POP. When Sam Horn says you can stand out in any crowd, believe her! Rather than just talking about it, Sam Horn shows you how to make your own business "pop."

Like a cookbook, POP is filled with recipes to inspire your imagination with fresh ideas and fun exercises. Start anywhere. Keep going until you arrive at your own unique inspiration.

Way out of the ordinary . . . step out of the mundane and become extraordinary! Innovate with Sam Horn! This book can help you get there.

Five Stars and then some!

This is an amazing book! Sam shares with her readers new ways to grab our audience's interest and attention. She really does know how to help people get noticed in a crowd. This book has shown me how to positively inspire others to read my book, LifeChimes: A Collection of Simple TruthsLifeChimes: A Collection of Simple Truths, when they are looking for simple ways to stop zapping their energy. Because of Sam Horn's book, my work as an author and a motivational speaker has been made so much easier. Thanks Sam!

An awesome book for jazzing up your writing and speaking. Sam Horn crams so many ideas for creating buzz and imprinting your message and brand in the minds of listeners and readers that I found myself making checklists as I ran through the draft of my last book trying to find places I could use her principles and ideas. It's not all about marketing either. She has great ideas on the use of stories and quotes in your writing, how to create memorable content using lists and alliteration, and plenty of other techniques to make your writing come alive.

It's easy and fun to read as Sam is very clearly one of her own best students. Her writing is tight and wonderfully informative with no filler. The ideas are things nearly anyone that has to communicate (verbally or in writing) can use right away.

I felt a little bit self conscious rating this 5 stars: every other reviewer thus far has given it 5 stars as well. But 5 stars it is! I'd say that's a pretty clear message about the strength of the material.

It's the best marketing lesson you can buy for $15.

I'm writing this as the mother of an adopted Ethiopian child- I bought this book after a random search and it has been the most valuable book of our whole adoption journey. It's loaded with helpful background info on the AIDS & Orphan crises in Ethiopia, history of Ethiopia, insight into the cultural perceptions of adoption (especially by affluent, white Westerners!) and the very moving perspectives of the orphans themselves, and their Ethiopian caretakers. The heroine of this story is very real, and her character development was deep and insightful. I laid the book down several times to have a good laugh (or cry!) but could hardly keep from turning the pages. Whether you are adopting yourself, supporting someone who is, or just interested in learning more about Ethiopia and this heroine's story, I know you will come away inspired.

Author Melissa Fay Greene, who is the adoptive mother of two Ethiopian children, relates the story of Haregewoin Teferra, an Ethiopian mother who becomes the foster mother for a multitude of AIDS orphans during the height of the pandemic. Greene truthfully tells the tale without painting Teferra as a "modern day Mother Teresa," but rather as a very real and human woman who is asked by clerics to take in one abandoned orphan after another. A grieving mother whose adult daughter died from AIDS, Teferra discovers that helping the children provides her with a means of overcoming her grief. The individual stories of these "lost children" who arrive on Teferra's doorstep are riveting, as is Greene's account of the assimilation of her adoptive children into her family. Accompanying photos show children shortly after they arrived in very bad shape at Treferra's compound and then later with adoptive American families.
Greene spares no one as she rails against the pharmaceutical companies that withheld AIDS medications from third-world countries at the height of the pandemic, causing the loss of a whole generation of parents. Despite having no drugs to help the children, hit-or-miss medical care, and scarce food for all, Teferra does her best to feed, clothe, house, and educate the orphans put in her care. Although one might think that this book is a "downer," it is a very uplifting page-turner that relates the indominable spirit of one Ethiopian woman and her many foster children.

Melissa Faye Green is an excellent writer. She is a true artist painting a vivid picture of scenes, and weaving historical, political and social aspects of the deadly HIV/AIDS epidemic. This is an incredibly powerful book. It is not easy to read due to the difficult emotional toll it can take on one, but I felt morally obligated to read it, so that I wasn't just shutting out the devastating misery suffered by so many millions. She portrays the human face of this awful disease with poignancy. It is an inspiring and human story of one woman's efforts to alleviate her own and others suffering. God bless Melissa for opening our eyes.

This was a wonderful book! Having myself been to Addis Ababa recently (July 07) with my daughter to pick up her adopted Ethiopian baby boy (4 months old), you can just imagine how this story of one woman's love for so many orphans resonated with me. The book is a quick read -- something interesting in every chapter. The author intertwined Haregewoin's up and down story with bits of Ethiopian history and the unwinding spread and theories of HIV-AIDs plus added her own experience with H. and the adoption her own Ethiopian children -- which made the reader come away with a true cultural experience. H. is truly a "Mother Theresa" figure and an inspiration to all women. Thank you, Melissa, for introducing us to her. I really enjoyed having the photos of many of the children and their adoptive families to relate to. I will be sure that my daughter reads this book and I have suggested it to my book club in Boulder, CO which will read it in the fall. -- Gayle Weiss

I like what the story is about, however the book has so much detail it is hard to get through the first chapters.

Six degrees of separation: You've probably heard of that concept . . . that you can connect with anyone else through six contacts. The authors deconstruct that observation to point out that fewer than half the people (somewhere around 29 percent) can do that well, hence the title.

But do you really care if it takes three contacts or thirteen . . . as long as your message gets through? Probably not.

More important than getting through to others through mutual contacts is the ability to get help when you need it: That's the real value of being well networked.

So you can skip over the premise discussion. It just seems like a gimmick to help attract attention to the book.

Start with page 7 and the diagnostic questions to test how well you perform in creating, building, and sustaining a network. From there, perform one of the 52 assignments per week for a year. If you keep up on the prior lessons, you should become much better connected after a year.

This book is primarily designed for those who aren't very good at networking and haven't been introduced to the basics. So if you are new to the idea of getting acquainted with more people, this book is a good choice.

But if you have read at least two reasonably good networking books, you probably won't add that much value here . . . unless you find that a weekly lesson helps you maintain the discipline.

If you ignore the sketchy premise, this is a five-star book.

How many new connections did you make today that you will keep alive in ten years?

Horrible! Horrible! Horrible! Look, I am a very small business owner trying to build a better business and gain clients. I've read so many business books. Common sense will tell you that you need to take time to network regularly for your business. I thought this book might be different. It is not. There are not any new ideas, just old ones broken into 52 weeks. Honestly you'd be better off buying Guerrilla Marketing for Free or Guerilla Marketing Weapons. If you must read this book, check it out from the library. Please don't waste your money. I took mine back to the store.

I have long been a believer of the power of effective networking. And, in the tough times we are encountering as a nation, I believe that effective networking will be even more important.

Ivan Miser, one of the county's leading authorities on networking, has collaborated with Michelle Donovan to write what I believe to be one of the best books in networking that has ever been written.(My other favorite is "Click" by George Fraser.)

I liked everything about the book...a lot...except for the title which is a case of copyrighting seemingly gone amuck. And to think that the subtitle doesn't even explain the mystery of the title. YUK!

But, get past the title and get on with the substance of the book and this book is an absolute gem. Jam packed with solid information, wonderful tips, and even helpful exercises.

Like some of the best things in life, there is no magic pill to effective networking. This point is reinforced by the central organization of the book into a year-long program to build networking effectiveness.

In turbulent times, being a silo, or a lone wolf, just is not going to cut it. I highly recommend that all professionals buy this book, follow the program and become one of the 29% who are separated from the rest of the world by just six degrees. (Ah yes, there is at least some rationale to the title.) Even more importantly than being part of that dubious group, by following this program you will increase the likelihood that you will have the relationships to help you prosper in tough times.

The week by week strategies with easy to follow actionable items helps to make you a more effective networker. Well done.

The authors start out with the premise that although networking is proven to be valuable in business, it is still rarely taught in business schools.

The book begins with a self-analysis test to help determine one's networking skills. Topics and assignments are broken down into 52 weeks, with spaces in some of the chapters for you to write in the book as you do that week's assignment. (Not every week has a writing area, so you may want to keep a separate notebook or keep notes and action steps on a Blackberry/PDA.)

It could almost be called Networking for Dummies or for Introverts or even for Clueless. I say that because the book addresses so many topics that brought some former co-workers and bosses to mind. MANY people who are in business at various levels could be helped by networking, but are not born schmoozers or networkers, and don't know where to begin.

This book charts out one of the simplest game plans for success that I've seen in quite awhile. It is not all new knowledge, but it is all in one place, so you can check off your progress and see what the next step is for growing your skills and your business. The plan is simple, but not always easy. As the authors say, it's netWORKing, not netEATing or netSITTing.

Topics included may require major changes or just minor tweaks to a person's life. Examples are: being accountable to a group, writing thank you notes, being engaging, writing a press release, getting and giving referrals, following up, being a change agent, becoming an expert, and more.

Recommended for complete wallflowers and introverts who may even know but don't ever DO. It's also good for extroverts and "self-made" individuals who think they are the best networkers in the world but who need refinement and more focus on others than just their own abilities and personality.

Terrific reference book to use and refer back to again and again.

good book for the people who are already in to business or planning to start

Form any startup, the founding team must commit to a getting it right - for it is not easy to getting your market and product right - what you need is likely what I needed for my latest startup - Pay Parade [...] - author and entrepreneur Paul Hawken provides an insightful tale of how to farm your newly seeded company - whereas I thought of this book to help me with marketing, I ended up learning that it often takes more of a cultivated farming sensibility than any hard marketing science. Go ahead and treat yourself to a gift that keeps on giving - purchase yourself a copy of Growing Your Business.

What a spectacular little business bible for a world that has forgotten that business and people are one and the same. Read this book.

This book was my constant companion when I first started my company 12 years ago. I underlined, starred and highlighted countless passages and dog-eared the corners of numerous pages. The underlying philosophies still guide me--be in it for the long haul, create legendary service, you can never rush the rules of the field, and focus, focus, focus. This is especially true in light of the Internet where everything happens at lightning speed. But business is still about people and relationships. Nurture them. Whenever I meet someone about to start a business, I send them a copy of this book. It's the best advice I can give them: read it.

1. Tire of spending too much time looking for natural foods, Hawken starts Boston's first natural food store. In the first year, the company was grossing $300 and it was fun. "As the years rolled by, the company made money, lost it, hired hundreds of employees, bought railroad cars, opened stores and warehouses on both coasts, set up wholesale and manufacturing facilities, flirted with bankruptcy, and engendered a host of lean and hungry competitors-some of them friends and former associates."
2. The more exposure I gained to the "official" world of business, the more I began to doubt that I was in business at all. I seemed to be doing something different.
3. I believe that for a new and growing business, too much money is a greater problem than too little.
4. Being a good human being is good business.
5. There is no institute in American life that is freer to do what is wants to do than a business, and that includes creating its own jobs. The self-owned and operated business is the freest life in the world.
6. I believe most if not all, the successful business operate with values that go beyond opportunism.
7. Entrepreneurial ideas spring from a deep immersion in some occupation, hobby, or other pursuit, spurred by something missing in the world. The entrepreneur is often the first one to spot the opening, and if things work out that person will have a successful business.
8. To find the beginning, reduce your business idea to its apparent essence. Then reduce it again.
9. If a business is to grow you have to own it-the acts, habits, functions, jobs, and grunt labor.
10. A time will come when the primal fears emerge: What have I done? Isn't someone else doing it, too, and better? You will feel a strange loneliness.
11. Fear of failure may or may not be helpful but it is rationale. Every businessman, no matter how intelligent and resourceful, can and will fall prey to delusion and misjudgment.
12. As a businessperson you will encounter some of the strangest behavior you've ever seen. You will be incredulous to see people you thought you knew and trusted-good people, really become remarkable manipulators of truth and reality. Business is people. Expect the unexpected.
13. You have to gone into business to discover, change, serve, inform, transform, improve, and delight someone. You won't sell to this person otherwise. The entrepreneur asks, "Why not".
14. Business is about practice. It is not about theories or the testing of revolutionary ideas.
15. The major problem affecting business is a lack of imagination, not capital.
16. If money could solve problems, there would be no small business because the big business with plenty of money would run everything.
17. When your business encounters problems and messes stay with them. Find something valuable down in the dreck. One of the greatest errors of much business literature today is its attempt to instill certainty with checklists, must-dos, the motherhoods, ten principles, axiom galore, and other assorted truisms.
18. A good business has interesting problems, a bad business has boring ones. Good management is the art of making the problems so interesting and their solutions so constructive that everyone wants to get work and deal with them. Good problems energize.
19. From 1978 to 1986, GM grew sales from $63 billion to $102 billion but the company's share of domestic car market fell from 48 percent to 39 percent. Price increases, inflation, and acquisitions were the source of GMs growth. The point, every company dies.
20. Information is nothing more than how to make or accomplish something in the best way: more useful, longer lasting, easier to repair, lighter, stronger, and less energy consuming.
21. Global paradox, every small business has the potential advantage because big business, government, labor unions, schools, often don't deliver the goods.
22. If we are in economy that is organized increasingly around the amount of information that I in products, rather than around the amount of stuff, then the ability to create difference in manufacturing and delivery of goods and service will be the key to success.
23. Imagination and creativity are more useful than aggressiveness.
24. Big business are not more efficient, productive, or innovative than small businesses.
25. To consume means to use up, to waste, to destroy. Real income has fallen. As consumers, we can not afford to waste, so we buy products that are better and last longer. It is our demand for a better designed and operated world that is behind the tumultuous change we see in the marketplace today.
26. The American consumer is inherently dissatisfied. My business has started from my being a customer and not liking what I could buy. I suspect your business will begin that way too.
27. Good business ideas provide people with something that was right there-or not right there-all the time, but no one recognized it. When you recognize and provide it, they'll buy it.
28. Buy as directly as possible, sell directly as possible, and reduce overhead as much as possible.
29. After you have a business idea, I recommend that you subject it to the scrutiny of a business plan. A business plan broadly describes the nature of the business, the type of product being manufactured or service offered, and the advantage or benefits the product offers. A business plan is a test of the depth and thoroughness with which you have thought out your idea. The temptation is to fudge your plan toward what you believe the reader wants to read, rather than what you want to do. A well-developed business plan must be true to your own vision and purpose in order to be a useful tool.
30. Businesses lull themselves into failure, and this often reflects their inability to learn what the immediate business environment is saying.
31. Every business plan paints a rosy future, but few people going into business closely examine the possibility and the results of this hoped-for triumph.
32. When writing a business plan image that you are writing to a friend whose opinion and intelligence you admire, but who knows nothing about your current venture.
33. For a new company, a good marketing plan is simple, to the point, and easy to follow.
34. A consistent mistake companies make is not including their employees as owners.
35. Equity, whether in the form of incentive-type options, ESOPs, grants, loans, or pooled interests, should have the single purpose of creating a sense of shared conditions: we are in this together and will act accordingly.
36. If you are offered cash, loans, or advice, accept only the latter.
37. Friends are the first source of money for most small businesses.
38. SBA is the lender of last resort.
39. We keep our investors informed, not with the volume of information we produce, but with its accuracy.
40. Money goes to the least embarrassing situation.
41. Generosity, ampleness, and abundance draw money to ideas, people, and businesses.
42. A seasoned businessperson never presumes to know the truth of today. An experienced businessperson always asks questions. A green one will always have the answers.
43. Many people in business with little or no education or training nevertheless succeed-in good part because they have an intuitive sense of these numbers.
44. The more experience you have in business, the more money you can spend on a new business. Profit is the cost of doing business.
45. To grow, your business you must earn the permission of the marketplace.

"I enjoyed Hello Real World on two levels. One, giving fatherly
advice to my son about internships. He just graduated from Berkeley and is
participating in an internship.

On a professional level, I am advising a small company about the process
of how to put together an organized internship program. I have put together
internship programs for various nonprofit and academic programs.

Your book was exactly what I was looking for---the perspective of the
intern, as well as the lessons you learned from experience."

I read and tremendously enjoyed this book- I cannot wait to get more practical tips from the author! She explains well and greatly uses her own and her friends' experiences as examples.

Your choice:
1. Buy this book, read it, and learn from the author's experience or
2. Make the same mistakes, like I did.
The book contains information relevant to anyone who works during and after college, whether co-op, intern, or just a job.
The author sticks to the point too, so you're not going to get a lot of
irrelevant entertainment, just useful info. Contrast this with a recent book about Antarctica that dwelt on the bureaucracy involved in simply getting permission to go there.
Keep the book for reference, and use it."

Written by recent college student and internship-savvy author Jengyee Liang, Hello Real World: A Student's Approach to Great Internships, Co-ops, and Entry Level Positions is a no-nonsense, tell-it-like-it-is guide especially for job-hunting students fresh out of school (or wrapping up their final school year). From job hunting tips (a 3.5 GPA and a balanced, well-rounded life can be more valuable than a 4.0 GPA) to step-by-step instructions to putting one's best foot forward in a job interview ("The number one tip on nailing an interview is to be confident and energetic while being yourself") to learning how to adapt to the transition from academia to the real world ("You will be shocked at the inefficiencies that you come across in business, but you may have opportunities to change it for the better. Don't lose hope. For right now, accept it as it is, and don't let it get to you."), Hello Real World! gives the straight scoop on what to expect, and how to cope with the unexpected. For its candor and comprehensive coverage of workplace basics, Hello Real World! deserves to be mandatory reading for any prospective college graduate.

I read this book from the point of view of a mentor. The book speaks to all audiences - college students, those who hire college students for internships, co-op assignments, or in full-time positions.
I liked the reason given for participating in internships/co-op assignments - you will be working 40+ hours a week for ~40 years, so you better find out what you like (and more importantly, what you don't like) as soon as you can, and before that first full-time assignment, if possible. This resonated with me as I did an internship in Research and Development and learned that was the last place I wanted to be!
There are good examples of serendipity - jobs the author seemed to just fall into, with a little bit of luck and effort. Keep your eyes and ears open, opportunities are everywhere.
There is a lot of good advice for when you finally get that first internship/co-op position (or even first full-time job), especially on meeting with your supervisor and "big buddy" regularly, asking for mid-term and final evaluations, and making sure to interact/socialize with your colleagues (at least have lunch every so often).
This is a good read with helpful advice.

Scott Shane's work "Illusions of Entrepreneurship" was a valuable, yet sobering, addition to my library and knowledge base. He shines the light on many of the leading myths of entrepreneurship that scholars, practioners, and practioner-scholars such as myself proport.

Its enjoyable to read. Somewhat fun, its a good book to hammer through for practioners, policy makers, and academics alike. Supported by "facts" and research, it will lead one to rethink the link between entrepreneurship and economic development for beginners.

As a Ph.D. student researching entrepreneurship, innovation and regional development, I found this book valuable in helping me to question many of my basic assumptions that I took for granted. I also found Scott's Seminar in Entrepreneurship Research that I attended in 2007 in Cleveland to be helpful as well.

One of my takeaways as an entrepreneurship and innovation researcher was a renewed question and interest in methods. The entrepreneurs and related activites at the middle of the bellcurve are really not that interesting. What matters are the outliers. The use of empirical methods, the preferred way to go now amongst academic researchers, in order to better understand high impact entrepreneurship, is really not helpful. Qualitative methods and creative exploring will help us better understand these outliers.

-Michael Clouser, Ph.D. Candidate, University of Edinburgh, Centre for Entrepreneurship Research, University of Edinburgh; Research Associate, Edinburgh-Stanford Link, School of Informatics, University of Edinburgh. Edinburgh, Scotland.

This is a great book! Its about time that someone put together a book that offers a realistic perspective on starting a business! Its a quick and easy read and offers some great ideas for increasing the odds that the business you start will be succesful.

This book is the perfect example of the folks whose communication style goes like this: they tell you what they are going to tell you, they tell you, and then they tell you what they told you! And just for good measure (or to fill up more pages) this guy adds a numerical list of what he told you! Since the hardcover version I have runs just 165 pages before endnotes, you have to wonder if this is really a business magazine article, stretched waaaayyyyy out.

From reading business and economic development literature, I have often seen a distinction made between lifestyle entrepreneurs and other entrepreneurs. Shane makes no such distinction and I think the statistics he uses to bust myths are highly questionable. Do we really think policy-making in this important area should conflate every attorney who hangs a shingle to do real estate closings or draft wills, with businesses that aspire to develop new products, technologies?

On the other hand, if you are reading this because you want to leave your law firm and open a solo practice, or sell baked goods prepared in your home (lifestyle entrepreneurs) this book could be quite useful.

Totally crap book. All based on stupid opinions that dont have solid grounding or come across even realistic.
The book starts you off with throwing out an opinion that america is not entrepreneural due to the graphs the book provides. A graph showing people starting business ranging from 3-11%. Find me a country that has 50% of their population as self employed.
Then the rest of the book ends up stating opinions like why dont women start more businesses and having a load of crap opinions backing it up.

You are better off with a book on economics, then seek out a business lawyer or business conferences because even the most undemocratic governments have people with business which means anyone can start a business on any government.
What i would say 1 of the reason that makes america good for business is the ease of movement of goods from 1 part of the country to the next. Also the easiness of starting a business. Some countries have so much red taping that, its really a tuff road.

I found this book to be an interesting read for people considering becoming entrepreneurs. It is filled with data points that are not very well know. I would take some of conclusions with a grain of salt, as some of the data backing it is not all that solid. However, the author does mention when the data is not extensive.

It's not a guide to entrepreneurship and if you aren't sold on starting your own business, then it will probably seem rather gloomy. However, it's a good eye opener if you have a decent job and have considered starting a company just to not have to work for somebody else. Would defeinitely recommend it if you are thinking about starting your own business but are on the fence.

The conclusion set forth in the end seemed a bit rushed (it's all mentioned in the last 2 pages) but I think the previous chapters are worth it.

It also has a lot of references (almost half the book pages are filled with references), so depending on what kind of reader you are, that might be (or not) a good thing.

Bob Prosen has nailed it with this practical methodology for achieving results in businesses. His easy to read style with honest, truthful, practical points make this a handy tool for those days when we can find outselves stuck in the mire. Bulleted points and checklists make this volumn easy to go back to time and time again for refreshers. Whether you are a process oriented manager, or a "gut-check" leader you will find important ideas presented to keep you moving forward.

Kiss Theory Goodbye by Bob Prosen is divided into three parts. Part I is titled: The Big Win: Maximum Profitability and Results. It begins with the Introduction which opens with the following

"What are your top three objectives and how do you know you're achieving them? This may seem like a simple question, but I usually get vague generalities when leaders respond to it."

That short excerpt tells you what this book is about and why it's going to be good. Only someone with real hands-on experience improving business results would know the importance of that question. And a book devoted to sharpening answers to questions like that is sure to be valuable.

The publicity material for this book says it's the next step in the chain of Good to Great: Why Some Companies Make the Leap... and Others Don't and Execution: The Discipline of Getting Things Done. For once, you can believe the hype. Bob Prosen has written a book about how to execute and aimed it squarely at the small to mid-sized companies that need it most.

In the first chapter called Stuck in the Status Quo: Five Crippling Habits that Attack from Within, Prosen lists five things that companies do over and over and then make excuses for. Here's the list.

Absence of clear directives
Lack of accountability
Rationalizing inferior performance
Planning in lieu of action
Aversion to risk and change.

Sound familiar? If you're like many CEOs I know, the list will provide several shocks of recognition.

Having driven his stake about the situation at many companies firmly into the ground, Prosen moves on to Part II to tell you how to do better. This part is called the Five Attributes of Highly Profitable Companies. There's a chapter devoted to each one. I've noted the chapter number in parenthesis

Superior Leadership (2) is about what you need to do to prepare yourself and your people to improve. Prosen zeros in on the gap between the leaders' perceptions of how things are and their employees perceptions, noting that:

"70 percent of business leaders say their company's top objectives have been clearly defined and articulated. Yet only 48 percent of employees say they understand the organization's strategy and goals."

All of the chapters in this part have the same, helpful structure. Prosen begins by outlining "Strengths and Weaknesses" in the subject area, based on research. He follows that with solid and practical advice.

At the end of each chapter in this part there are three short, helpful sections. One gives you questions to determine whether you "Measure Up" on the issues covered in the chapter. A second lists "Very Important Lessons" from the chapter. And a third suggests "Actions to Take Now." These three sections make it easier for you to move from reading to doing.

Sales Effectiveness (3) is filled with advice for building the top line. Operational Excellence (4) gives you tools and suggestions to maintain margins.

The chapter on Financial Management (5) says that financial management is "traffic control" for your business. Prosen notes that this is often an untapped resource. In my experience, he's absolutely right.

Many C-suite executives in smaller companies lack financial sophistication that would help them do a better job. Many operating executives see finance as a kind of arcane trivia that distracts them from the "real" job of managing. That's reason enough that this chapter should be must reading, even if you skip other parts of the book.

The chapter on Customer Loyalty (6) was the weakest of the five core chapters. Prosen calls loyalty, "the gift that keeps on giving." He's right about that and he has lots of good things to say and suggest.

However he does not discuss Net Promoter Score (NPS) in any way. NPS is based on the The Ultimate Question: Driving Good Profits and True Growth, Fred Reichheld's excellent book. Since companies that have used NPS in some form have gotten great value from it and since it is a hot topic in customer service these days, its absence here is one of the few weaknesses in the book.

Part IV is Execute for Results, which starts with the chapter on Bridging the Gap (7). That chapter, in turn, begins with a wonderful quote.

"At the beginning of the day, it's all about possibilities.
At the end of the day, it's all about results.'

Substitute "the end of the book" for "the beginning of the day" and you've got this section in a nutshell. This part of the book is about going from ideas, goals and good intentions to results. These chapters all end with "Actions to Take Now" and they're definitely worth a review.

Chapters on Be Your Competitor's Worst Fear (8) and The Critical Path to Getting Things Done (9) have lots of good advice. Measure what Matters Most (10) gives you ways to assess how you're doing on Prosen's Five Key Attributes. Maintain the Gain (11) shares a look at how companies often get off track.

If you are part of a small to mid-sized company, Kiss Theory Good Bye will help you improve just about every area of your business. Here's summary of the my review.

How this book is different:

This is a solid practical handbook that is aimed at helping small to mid-sized businesses execute better and build long term competitive advantage and profitability. It picks up where books like Good to Great and Execution leave off.

Strengths:

Solid, practical advice from a consultant who's actually worked with the businesses he writes for.

Great organization and clear writing. The chapters on the Five Attributes of Highly Profitable Companies have a structure that begins with Strengths and Weaknesses of most companies based on research. This anchors the advice that follows. The chapters all end with analysis questions, key learning points, and suggested action steps.

Warnings:

There are lots of places in this book where the author drops bits of bait to get you to check out his services or other products. On page 81, for example, he outlines a technique, and then tells you it's one of several that he teaches in his workshops.

Sometimes his ideas of what to do are more exhortations than practical advice.

Bottom Line:

If you're involved in business this will be a good, insightful read.

If you're in a small to mid-sized company this should be a must-read.

From the moment I read Prosen's book, I knew it had to be required reading for the MBA class I'm teaching. Because my day job puts me in the trenches with organizations of all sizes, I knew that this book hit the nail on the head. While other books make the case for getting from "good to great" this book creates the roadmap for HOW to achieve it. With relevant examples, usable tools, and a down-to-earth common sense approach, Prosen provides a timeless tool of common sense for senior leaders of organizations. He also provides applicable reasons for addressing the "nay sayers" in the organization. If you're tired of books that provide a lot of fluff with little take-back-to-your-desk-application, then get this book. My MBA students have assured me that they are keeping this book in their library.

I've just finished reading Bob Prosen's book, "Kiss Theory Good Bye: Five Proven Ways to Get Extraordinary Results in Any Company." I've also read Mr. Kent M. Blumberg's review of Prosen's book, and I fear that some Amazon customers might get the wrong impression of "Kiss Theory Good Bye" from Mr. Blumberg's thumbs-down judgment. I'd like to reply to Mr. Blumberg's review.
When I read Mr. Blumberg's take on Prosen's book, I said to myself, "Blumberg is either (a) a pretentious consultant, or (b) an adjunct professor of management at a third-rate community college."
I wasn't wrong. On his Web blog site, Mr. Blumberg calls himself "a professional and executive life coach," whatever that may be. That's one difference between Prosen and Blumberg: It would never occur to Mr. Prosen, a successful management consultant himself, to describe what he does in language so high-falutin', so vague and voguish.
Blumberg is the type of consultant who is impressed by business books that carry conventionally edgy, smart-ass, offbeat titles. It's a device borrowed from academic publishing. I call them "Cute two-part titles." A cutesy metaphor separated from its explanation by a colon. You know the kind I mean: "Talk to the Elephant in the Room: Dealing with Corporate Failure," or "The Hieroglyphics of Crisis and Change: How to Defeat Fear in Your Company." (No, the title of Prosen's book does NOT fit this pattern. "Kiss Theory Good Bye" is not used metaphorically.)
Here are three actual titles taken from the book review part of Blumberg's Web log:

(1) "The Black Swan: The Impact of the Highly Improbable."
(2) "The Dip: A Little Book That Teaches You When to Quit (and When to Stick)"
(3) "CIRQUE DU SOLEIL THE SPARK: Igniting the Creative Fire That Lives Within Us All."

Mr. Blumberg has a large appetite for books of this sort. Mr. Prosen offends him by relentlessly sticking to the point, forswearing the current business-book chic, cloudy, smarmy pseudo-inspiration that so impresses Mr. Blumberg, and insisting that doing business successfully is hard unglamorous work. I agree with Mr. Prosen.
According to Blumberg, you need to read $300 worth of specialized 400-page books to get the full story of what Mr. Prosen teaches. Baloney! This is simply the whining of an envious consultant who wishes he had the powers of summary and synthesis and imagination that Mr. Prosen displays throughout "Kiss Theory Good Bye."
Mr. Blumberg says there's nothing new in Prosen's book. In a certain limited sense, this holds water. But in the larger sense, Blumberg couldn't be more wrong.
In Blumberg's words (he's speaking of Prosen's five attributes of successful organizations): "Unless you just crawled out of a cave, you already know what it takes to succeed." This is just more Blumberg-consultant blather. Many business leaders DON'T know what it takes to succeed. Prosen proves this again and again in "Kiss Theory Good Bye" with examples from his distinguished career.
Mr. Prosen's book is full of new formulations of tried-and-true maxims, unconventional restatements of old ideas that work. Even when his formulations sum up ancient wisdom, he still finds fresh things to say.
For example, this gem:

"Today's most prevalent business challenge is. . .planning in lieu of action. . .it's the issue of execution that remains in question. . . What separates the winners from those who struggle. . .is the ability to execute a plan. It really is that simple."

So true. Planning as an excuse for doing nothing is the curse of large organizations. Planning in place of action occupies far too many intelligent people, wastes far too much time, in 90 percent of corporate America. How many elaborate, expensive plans lie dormant, forgotten, useless, laid to rest in bulky ring binders on the CEO's shelf! But who has reminded business executives as powerfully as Prosen that the acid test remains action, action, action?
Or these insights from Prosen on sales:

"Recruit great salespeople; don't teach great people how to sell."

"The president gave me the go-ahead, yet I still had one question: Would he remain supportive if the plan I designed allowed someone [a top-flight salesperson] several levels below him to make more money than he did? He was very willing. Many members of top management have trouble with this concept."

Yeah, I'd say that 999 out of 1000 of the business-school graduates from Stanford, the University of Chicago, Wharton, and Harvard would have a great deal of trouble with that concept.
And that brings me to another of Prosen's basic but brilliant observations: He stresses again and again that he's surprised by the number of executives who ignore or don't know the fundamental ideas he lays out in his book. How can this be?
Good question. It's one you won't find an answer to by reading Mr. Blumberg or the business thinkers Mr. Blumberg admires. And reading Prosen's book, and being shocked by the business ignorance of the American executive, brings up another question: What are we teaching our business school graduates? Why do so many of them know nothing about the basic realities of what they do?
Why are so many of them so touchingly ignorant about how to communicate with other senior execs, other managers, and front-line employees about things these groups absolutely must know to be effective? Why? What are we getting for the $200,000 we spend on educating these M.B.A.- and Ph.D.-degreed ignoramuses in how to run a corporation?
Prosen's book is packed full of suggestive ideas, old and new. Here are a few more of these ideas just on the subject of "costs" (I can't possibly give you all of them):

"All too often leaders become slaves to their financial accounting systems and wait too long before taking action. If you don't completely understand your cost structure. . .Take whatever steps are necessary to get the information you need. There is no excuse for not knowing."

"It's amazing how many companies struggle to accurately determine their true cost of doing business."

"I can't tell you how often I've worked with companies that don't know their cost of doing business in sufficient detail to support their business decisions." [Prosen then gives an amazing example of this inexcusable ignorance from his experience as a consultant. Read the book.]

"Another great way to reduce costs is to periodically challenge why every report in your company is required. . . I applied this seemingly simple strategy inside a Fortune 1000 company and the savings was extraordinary."

"Poor quality and rework can quickly render [a company] non-competitive. With all the investments made in quality processes over the years, you would think this issue would be very well managed. Yet when I ask company leaders how many of them have defined processes in place to reduce inefficiencies and rework, very few do."

"Another great way to focus on problem elimination is to hold recurring operations reviews. The process I like best makes the leader who is responsible for each operating area stand up and present his or her results in front of colleagues and senior management."

"Run leaner than you would prefer--even in good times. It's always a better alternative to budget cuts and layoffs."

Dear readers, Prosen's whole book is packed with insights and sayings and warnings and summaries as valuable as these. Yes, Prosen is relentless. Yes, he pounds home his lessons again and again. Yes, much of what he preaches is superficially obvious. But you know what? All great practical teachers do exactly that. These reflections make me wonder whether Mr. Blumberg actually read "Kiss Theory Good Bye." He certainly didn't read it carefully, or with the least imagination.
I urge you to read "Kiss Theory Good Bye." Don't pay any attention to Kent Blumberg. There isn't a wasted word in "Kiss Theory Good Bye." It's all business. Maybe that's why it offends Mr. Blumberg. It's too practical, too down-to-earth. It insists too much on the necessity of changing what you're doing now by working hard and continuously at what must seem to Mr. Blumberg to be grubby, dull, mean little particulars. Prosen offers no neat but chicly paradoxical inspirational formulas for achieving business utopia instantly.
Here's what I think: If Mr. Prosen had been aware of Kent Blumberg's existence and cared about pleasing him when he wrote his book, he would have chosen a different sort of title. Something like, "Who Melted My Cheese: The 12 Things You Must Do Differently to Keep Your Company on Top." Yeah, that probably would have done it.

Bob Prosen wrote a great book called Kiss Theory Good Bye - Five Proven Ways to Get Extraordinary Results in Any Company.

The goal of the book is to provide a definitive how-to-book on business execution. It is a first person account of how Bob Prosen has helped lead major companies.

I like the simplicity of the book and the rules. I particularly like the chapter summaries that make it an easy read.

Chapter one talks about one of my favourite topics, habits. Although the focus of the chapter has a lot of bad habits and I prefer to focus on good habits. Clearly habits are the first step in any good company. This chapter also talks about doing walk-abouts.

Chapter two talks about leadership. It talks about having no politics. I would modify this to say any company is going to have politics so can they be positive politics. This ties into culture which is one of the main topics that any leader should involve themselves in.

Chapter three talks about sales effectiveness and how to manage a sales force as well as what the difference is between a good and bad sale.

Chapter four talks about operational excellence. Clearly operational excellence is where it all begins and has to do with such things as cost structure, accounting, and just good old fashion execution. It also talks about processes.

Chapter five talks about financial management where information is power. One of SYNNEX's top values is visibility and this chapter talks all about visibilities so you know your costs and where the profit is and where you are making money and where you are not.

Chapter six jumps back to the customer and talks about customer loyalty the one that keeps on giving. This is tied closely to sales but potentially talks more about branding and execution.

Chapter seven starts with a great quote, At the beginning of the day it is all about possibilities; at the end of the end of day it is all about results. This chapter talks about getting results and are you really doing it.

Chapter eight is titled Be Your Competitors' Worse Fear. It starts with, Your competitors' biggest fear is not so much your bright ideas but your ability to turn those ideas into bottom line results. That requires an accountability based culture relentlessly focused on achieving clear goals.

Daily Checklist

End indecision, increase your productivity, kiss theory good bye and get the results you need.

THESE SEVEN STEPS EVERY DAY TAKE:

Give clear directives. Be short, be definitive, and get to the point.

Require accountability. Focus on results, not activity.

Never rationalize poor performance.

Avoid overplanning. When a plan is in place, execute.

Embrace change. Search out opportunities to improve your organization and your results.

Help every member on the team win.

At the end of every day, ask yourself, Did my actions today help move the organization closer to meeting its objectives?

THE LEADER'S ROLE - MAKE EVERYONE WHO REPORTS TO YOU WIN!

Clearly define everyone's objectives, establish quantifiable metrics, and measure performance.


Have each person identify the top three barriers to achieving his or her objectives.


Agree on specific actions, responsibilities, and time frames to remove or minimize the barriers.

Hold everyone accountable for results and disproportionately reward those who achieve their objectives.

Remember, you win when everyone on the team wins!

Chapter nine, The Critical Path: this talks a lot about communication. Clearly nothing happens without proper communication.

Chapter ten, Measure What Matters Most: This not only goes to the accounting and financial measurements which were discussed earlier, but gets into counting what is right. I have always been a big believer of every business having a dashboard and believe each business is dashboard and what should be measuring and looking at differs.

Chapter eleven talks about how you continue with the execution and keep it going.

The Epilogue Beyond Profitability: Doing Good and Doing Well



The old adage is true: You can do good and do well. With the attributes I've outlined, you don't have to cheat to become highly profitable. There's no need to color your reporting or cook the books to achieve great success.

Live From Jordan gives its readers a fresh perspective on the "Arab East" untainted by political subtexts. Benjamin Orbach's honest, open, and often humorous description of the people and places he encountered during his travels and studies is both engaging and thought provoking.

Exceptionally well written book. It would make a great travel companion for anyone embarking on a trip around the region, but could also serve to provide some great insight and information about the "Arab East".

Highly recommended.

Benjamin Orbach takes a total immersion approach to living in and understanding Jordan. He learns the language, befriends neighbors, and in a quest to understand, becomes a relentless listener/communicator to those he encounters along the way.
This excellent book deconstructs myths and sterotypes about the Arab East in a way that is both analytical and personal. The author's insights evolve from real life experiences far removed from academia and the often sterile think tanks upon which many Westerners depend for information about the Arab world.

I highly recommend Live from Jordan. This book has really opened my eyes and has helped me realized how important it is to look at issues from all perspectives. Reading this book has also been a good way to learn about the Arab East. I realize now how complicated and long term the problems in the middle east are. Thank you for writing such a thoughtful and intelligent book.

Benjamin Orbach did something just a few months after the events of 9-11 that few Americans dared to do. Just when most Americans were purposely avoiding travel to the Middle East (or had left the area for good), Orbach decided to move to Jordan on his own so that he could study Arabic as it is spoken on the street. He wanted to learn everyday Arabic slang and ways of expressing himself in the language that would allow him to communicate with Arabic speakers at the deepest level. Immersing himself into the culture of Amman, and living there without the usual security surrounding most Americans in that part of the world, he learned much more about himself and the people he met than he could have reasonably expected to come away with going into the experience.

Orbach's language skills and obvious respect for the culture and people he lived among made it possible for him to fit into his Amman neighborhood so well that he formed lasting friendships with the people he saw there everyday, his barber, his grocer, students at his university, his language teachers, restaurant owners and his landlady, among them. Unlike most Americans, and probably most Westerners, he came to see them as individuals with the same hopes and desires that we all have,